2 5 o NOTES OF A BOTANIST CHAP. 



stinging herb with large white flowers of the order 

 Loaseae. 



The Orchideae must not be forgotten : they 

 were very numerous and in fine state, especially 

 two large-flowered Odontoglossa, whose liana-like 

 peduncles depended almost to the ground. There 

 were also some Oncidia and Epidendra, and many 

 curious things whose affinities I did not recognise, 

 and which I have not yet examined. 



From Llalla I dispatched my men to the 

 adjacent paramos on that side of Azuay, with 

 instructions to bring me everything they found in 

 flower. They returned bringing a good many 

 alpines, including some pretty Senecios not else- 

 where seen, a red-flowered caespitose Werneria, a 

 small Crucifera, an Alstrcemeria, a Gnaphalium, 

 but especially a beautiful Gentiana, allied to G. 

 cernua, and instead of having only one or two 

 pendulous flowers, as in that species, bearing a 

 profusion of erect pyriform red flowers. 



[In a letter to Sir William Hooker from Ambato 

 (Oct. 10, 1859), the following remark on the 

 vegetation of the two slopes of the Andes is of 

 much interest : 



" As regards the general vegetation, the Amazon 

 side of the Andes is incomparably richer than the 

 Pacific side. In the former a perpetual spring 

 reigns sun and rain divide each day, rain pre- 

 dominating in what is called winter and sun in 

 summer ; but in the latter the ground gets burnt 

 up with seven months of dry weather, and soaked 

 with five months of continual rain. You will 

 therefore be prepared to hear that in my late 



